Art Cologne
Encyclopedia
Art Cologne is an art fair
held annually in Cologne
, Germany
and was established in 1967 as Kölner Kunstmarkt. It is regarded the world's oldest art fair of its kind. The fair runs for six days and brings together galleries from more than 20 countries. It is open to the public and attracts about 60,000 visitors.
in Chicago or the Ann Arbor Art Fairs
in Michigan, in which artists themselves marketed their works directly to the public from stands set-up in the streets. The Art Cologne and other international art fairs that followed offer private galleries conditions similar to their own back home: booths in buildings enabling them to present art works of high value.
In 1974 the fair moved to its current location, the tradeshow halls at the district of Deutz. On this occasion the name was changed to Internationaler Kunstmarkt (IKM). Today's name Art Cologne was adopted in 1984.
Art fair
An art fair is a commercial exhibition that shows the work of artists or art dealers. Each entrant has to pay a fee.Art fairs are not to be confused with art exhibitions. Exhibitions are organised by curators....
held annually in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and was established in 1967 as Kölner Kunstmarkt. It is regarded the world's oldest art fair of its kind. The fair runs for six days and brings together galleries from more than 20 countries. It is open to the public and attracts about 60,000 visitors.
Background
The Art Cologne was the first art fair organized by and for commercial galleries to exhibit and sell Modern and Contemporary art. This kind of art fair distinguished itself from earlier art fairs such as the 57th Street Art Fair57th Street Art Fair
The 57th Street Art Fair is Chicago's oldest juried art fair. Founded in 1948, it is held the first weekend in June every year on 57th Street between Kimbark and Kenwood Avenues, in the Chicago neighborhood of Hyde Park, directly north of the University of Chicago campus...
in Chicago or the Ann Arbor Art Fairs
Ann Arbor Art Fairs
The Ann Arbor Art Fairs are a group of four award-winning, not-for-profit art fairs that take place annually in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Over 500,000 visitors attend the Fairs each year, which always take place during the third full week of July, running from Wednesday through Saturday...
in Michigan, in which artists themselves marketed their works directly to the public from stands set-up in the streets. The Art Cologne and other international art fairs that followed offer private galleries conditions similar to their own back home: booths in buildings enabling them to present art works of high value.
History
The Kölner Kunstmarkt was founded by galerists Hein Stünke and Rudolph Zwirner in 1967 in an attempt to reinvigorate the weak market for contemporary art. The first Kölner Kunstmarkt took place in the Gürzenich festival hall in the medieval part of the city; the following year Kunsthalle Köln was added as an additional location. The fair helped to establish Cologne as a new center of contemporary art.In 1974 the fair moved to its current location, the tradeshow halls at the district of Deutz. On this occasion the name was changed to Internationaler Kunstmarkt (IKM). Today's name Art Cologne was adopted in 1984.